| Leadership profiling in UK Plc: the path to clarity or confusion? |
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| | For many organisations,
identifying the behaviour
contributing to
management effectiveness
is vital when fighting a
recession - but a new
study by Pario HR
Solutions shows serious
shortfalls in the
leadership profiling
methods used in UK Plc
today.
According to the
study, up to 45% of
statements used in
competency models to
assess and develop
managers fail to identify
the most important
behaviours and frequently
obscure important
factors. For example, one
organisation emphasised
team working but skipped
essential steps in
building commitment.
Another focused on a
broad description of
leadership when it needed
to create insight and
shared purpose. This
means the models are not
reliable, which raises
worrying questions about
their validity.
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The study is
particularly relevant in
a climate of economic
uncertainty when
organisations want to
identify the behaviours
characterising high
performing managers (and,
in turn, weed out
examples of low
performance). This is
important for team
productivity and
strengthening practical
leadership skills
training. However, the
findings suggest that
many organisations
currently make decisions
on the basis of models
that are fundamentally
flawed.
In most cases,
clustering related
behaviours - such as
those linked to
'effective problem
solving' - provides the
basis of a 'competency
model'. These have now
become the main reference
point for recruitment,
performance management | |
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| | talent management and
coaching for
organisational success.
"A significant part of
the problem stems from
the popularity of this
approach over the last 25
years. As a result,
competency models have
been created with little
reference to relevant
theory."
However, it is now
possible to run a 'health
check' - known as
competency validation -
to review the
psychometric properties
of the competency models.
This can be done using an
online 360ยบ feedback
questionnaire completed
by different groups of
work associates, and
backed by in-depth
analysis. These tools
highlight what the
relevant groups,
including external
stakeholders, regard as
significant.
Sharpley concludes:
"Competency validation is | |
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| | a relatively new idea but
one that offers
considerable benefit to
organisations. It helps
ensure that their talent
management and leadership
development processes are
focused on the most
important aspects of
behaviour and aren't
using outdated 'one size
fits all' methods with
little relevance to their
particular area of
business."
Pario emphasises that
it's possible for
organisations to update
their competency models
to achieve levels of
reliability associated
with the best
psychometric tests. The
most significant
behaviours vary across
different organisations
but consistent themes are
linked to the emerging
concept of authentic
leadership and
development of
trust-based
relationships. | |
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| | and promotion decisions,
as well as shaping
courses to develop staff.
However, the
reliability and validity
of these models is rarely
tested. The findings of
Pario's study are
striking, highlighting a
number of problems.
David Sharpley,
chartered occupational
psychologist and director
of Pario HR Solutions,
explains:
"The research shows
that these models are
poorly defined. The
behaviours they identify
don't relate to the
specified competency, and
there's too much overlap
and duplication.
Important, underlying
factors, such as actions
that help build trust,
aren't identified. This
reduces the value in
leadership development, | |
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